RDS members complain army harassment in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 August 2005, 20:26 GMT]Officials of the Rural Development Societies (RDS) in the Trincomalee Town and Gravets Division Sunday complained that the presence of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in large number is disrupting normal lives in their areas. Soldiers are conducting cordon and search operations during
nights and walk into the Hindu temples with shoes, they said.

Several representatives of the RDSs attended the special meeting of the RDS Federation held in Trincomalee Vigneswara Maha Vidiyalayam Sunday morning. Mr.R.Sampanthan, Trincomalee district parliamentarian was the chief guest at the occasion.

A representative of the Chelvanayakapuram Women RDS said soldiers are patrolling the roads in her area during nights. Chelvanayakapuram is not supplied with electricity. Hence residents of the area are living in fear to go out on the road as soldiers are seen in front of every house, she said.

A representative of Thirukadaloor RDS said SLA soldiers are conducting search operation in his area by going to each house removing boundary fence. New checkpoints are established along coastal line of Thirukadaloor and are frequently preventing fishermen of the area for fishing in the sea, he said.

A member of the Anpuvallipuram RDS said soldiers are conducting search operation in his area after midnight causing hardships to residents. Some soldiers had walked into a Pillaiyar Temple with shoes. Tamil youths are
afraid of moving in the area during nights because of the presence of soldiers conduct search operation in the cover of darkness, he alleged.